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Car hijackings in Washington, DC increased nearly 74% in 2021 compared to last year.
There were 186 car hijackings between January and July 12 of this year, according to DC police data, up from 107 during the same period in 2020.
Mayor Muriel Bowser did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the crimes and inquiries into how to combat them, but DC Police have revealed that they have started a task force on carjacking using “bait cars” to catch suspects in the city.
“We sometimes deploy bait cars. More recently in District 2 they are using it, but we want to make sure that the tactic certainly works for the specific crime that we are targeting at the time,” the chief said. DC Police Robert Contee. Tuesday.
The move comes after a series of violent carjackings around the city, with the suspects and perpetrators often teenage DC residents.
3 TEENAGERS INVOLVED IN ARMED DC CARJACKING, ONLY ONE ACCUSED AS INCIDENTS HAPPEN
As recently as last week in the city, police arrested three young girls – aged 12, 14 and 16 – for a failed carjacking attempt where they allegedly used a Taser on the victim.
MARYLAND CARJACKING VIDEO SHOWS DC TEEN HIJACKS VEHICLE AT GAS STATION WITH 2 YEAR OLD GIRL IN REAR
The charges, however, were dropped against two of the young girls, with only one girl now facing charges of attempted carjacking. Police are still looking for a fourth suspect.
DC’s carjacking issue also caught the nation’s attention in March when teenage girls were arrested for the murder of an Uber Eats driver in a carjacking attempt that was filmed.
DC BOTCHE CARJACKING VICTIM THROWS CAR TO DEATH, TEENS CHARGED FOR KILLING: POLICE
The driver, Mohammad Anwar, died after being thrown from his moving vehicle during the violent crime committed by a 13 and 15 year old teenager.
None of the girls in the case have been charged as adults, raising questions about why such a vicious crime did not lead to more serious consequences.
“The 15-year-old wouldn’t be charged as an adult. You know, obviously it’s a tragic case and, you know, charging this person as an adult. [who’s] a minor… don’t bring back the lost loved one in this case, ”Contee said in March when asked if he thought at least the 15-year-old in this case should be tried like an adult .
“And certainly, again, the 15-year-old wouldn’t be eligible for Title 16. You know, and that’s really not pointing fingers at anybody – the courts or whoever,” he said. he added.
The girls were sentenced to juvenile detention up to the age of 21.
Car hijackings have also spread around DC, with two teenagers charged in June after allegedly hijacking a vehicle from a gas station parking lot in Maryland with a 2-year-old inside.
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Other violent crime in the city also increased between January and July of this year compared to 2020. Homicides, for example, currently stand at 101 for this year, up from 99 in the same period of the year. last, according to police data. Robbery also fell from 900 in 2020 to 912 in 2021.
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